For this set of outfits I decided to wear items that I still owned from 2011, when I did the Wearing It All challenge the first time around.

We'd just moved, everything was chaos, and as I unpacked my clothes I wondered if I really needed so many, that's when the Wearing It All challenge was born.

Below are the first three items, 2019 on the top row, 2011 on the bottom.

The white jeans have recently been rescued from the charity bag. After I read that it takes 1,800 gallons of water to make just one pair of jeans, I vowed to wear all my jeans until they literally fall apart. They're good for summer afternoon BBQs, family gatherings, when you just don't know what else to wear and need something semi smart.

The grey cardigan was from New Look, cheap and cheerful but it's worn really well and is showing little sign of age despite being worn a lot over the years. I took it to Latitude recently, it's always been the perfect thing for layering, and it's great for wearing with dresses as it's waist length.

The grey skirt isn't something that's been worn a lot but I love it. It's a really soft material, and has pockets! I wore it last year, probably for the first time since 2011. A few hours after the photo was taken back then, Andy arrived home and told me that his Grandma had passed away. We hadn't been together many years and I'd only met her a handful of times but she was lovely, and deeply loved by her family. She'd been unwell for some time and we'd been to see her a few days before, and I'm so glad that we did. This skirt always makes me think of her.

Next up I wore some shorts (below) that I never thought would see the light of day again. I really like them, which is probably why I hung onto them for so long, but as I stepped into my late thirties I had a wobble about what I should and shouldn't wear. These shorts seemed too short, but now that I'm in my 40s I just think 'stuff it'.

Perhaps my legs aren't as slender as they once were, they have a few wobbly and dimpled bits, and they're as pale as porcelain but they're strong and part of me, and I don't give a stuff about what others decide is appropriate for 'a woman of my age'. If I like it, I'll wear it, and I like these shorts.

I've had the jeans for a long time, I bought them before I met Andy, which makes them over a decade old. When they were new they were a dark wash, even back in 2011 they'd lost a lot of their colour.

They've been patched many times, the first hole appearing after I accidentally stuck them to my leg with super glue. It wouldn't wash out, it cracked and the first hole of many was created. More are soon to follow as they continue to grow thinner in places, but I'll mend them until they can be mended no more.

I cringed when I noticed the ballet pumps worn with bootleg jeans, I wouldn't do that now, ballet pumps are worn with skirts. It seems I've been subconsciously developing my own rules on what I should and shouldn't wear.

The black shirt dress has been worn occasionally, it's never been a go-to item but it's earned it's keep. In 2011 I was embracing hosiery for the first time in my life. And those boots. I loved those boots, I haven't stopped looking for a similar pair.

It occurs to me now that I should've taken these photos in the same locations as their 2011 counterparts, you'd see a much more organised wardrobe, a new bedroom carpet, the house painted a pale yellow instead of white and a different front door. Oh well... an opportunity missed.

It's been fun to look back over these items. They all hold so many memories, and have stories to tell. Clothes are never really just clothes are they?